Non-Newtonian fluids (e.g., polymer, gels) are commonly used in oil field applications such as for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), water production control, conformance control, and control of leak-off and back-flow characteristics during hydraulic fracturing. Knowledge of non-Newtonian fluids has therefore become increasingly important for optimization of field operation designs and performance prediction.
However, currently available methods and systems for predicting fluid flow in heterogeneous porous media are unable to accurately capture the flow behaviors of non-Newtonian fluids due to their complex rheological behavior, especially when in the vicinity of wells due to high flow activity. In particular, the integration of physical phenomena such as shear-thinning effect, permeability reduction, and adsorption, as well as, inaccessible pore volume into the well model is inadequate, leading to inaccuracy in prediction, or requiring additional steps for validation. Accordingly, more accurate methods and systems for predicting fluid flow of non-Newtonian fluids in heterogeneous porous media, and particularly in the vicinity of wells, are needed.